AIRPHOTO INTERPRETATION bird and hale ltd. BIOPHYSICAL INVENTORY AND CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND BIOLOGISTS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT l REFUSE AND SOLID 1263 BAY STREET - . WASTE SYSTEMS TORONTO, ONTARIO M5R 2C1 REMOTE SENSING 416-925-1147 S.J. GLENN BIRD, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., O.L.S. MEMBER: Association of IAN M. HALE, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. Consulting Engineers of Canada l l 31Ge7NW8881 63.4497 ALFRED 010 l THE ALFRED BOG l PEATLAND INVENTORY AND EVALUATION l l l prepared for 586565 Ontario Inc. l c/o Hardee Farms International Inc l l by l Bird and Hale Limited l l l l November, 1984. File No. 84-135 l l l Exectutive Summary l Study Area Location The Alfred Bog is located in Alfred and Caledonia Townships in Prescott County. It is situated between Highways 17 and 417 and is accessible from Ottawa by driving east for l approximately one hour on Highway 17 to the town of Alfred and then south 5 km. l The total area of the bog is reported to be approximately 4,000 hectares, of which 1,500 hectares are owned by Hardee Farms International Limited. The latter portion of the bog l forms the study area (shown on Key Map 1). Objectives l The primary objectives of this study are, to inventory the peat resources of the study area and to determine the potential for development of these resources for the l extraction of fuel and horticultural peat and agricultural l use. Study Method The objectives of the study were accomplished through; review l of available published data, detailed field investigation, laboratory analysis of peat and agricultural soil samples, and evaluation of the data acquired to determine the l development potentials of the peat resources. l Potential for Utilization The general criteria that affect the overall utilization l potential of the peat resources of the study area are: access, climate, topography, drainage, vegetation, stump content, and previous uses and modifications. Summaries of l these criteria follow. Access l The Alfred Bog is located approximately 75 km from Ottawa and 110 km from Montreal. Access is available via numerous hard and loose surface all weather roads. A Canadian Pacific l Railway line is located 5 km north of the study area. The proximity and accessibility to these potential markets l enhance the development potential of the peat resources. l l i l Climate The climate is conducive to the harvest of peat resources t Southern Ontario has been rated as having the most favourable l conditions within Ontario for traditional peat harvesting methods. l Climatic conditions are also acceptable for production of a wide range of field crops. l Topography The domed and elevated nature of the study area will l facilitate development of an effective drainage network and l grading of production fields to promote good site drainage. Drainage The existing municipal drainage network and drainage ditches l within the study area should be suitable as drainage outlets. Potential appears to be good for improving site drainage through clearing and extension of existing, and construction l of additional, drainage ditches. l Vegetation The open, as opposed to treed, nature of the majority of the study area will minimize the cost of clearing the pentland l surface. l Stump Content The stump content of the peat is low and is anticipated to l pose only minor constraints to development. Previous Uses and Modifications l Historically, portions of the Alfred Bog have been used for agriculture and for peat extraction. The associated modifications, such as draining and clearing, should be l permitted to continue. However, measures should be taken to ensure that detrimental environmental impacts to adjacent l lands do not occur. Potential for Extraction of Fuel and Horticultural Peat l The specific criteria that determine the suitability of the study area for the extraction of fuel and horticultural peat l are described below. l 11 l l Area and Depth The Hardee Farms property has a total area of 1,500 hectares l of which 1,479 hectares are considered to be suitable for development of peat extraction operations (i.e. area with peat depth in excess of 1.2 m). The peat depth ranges from 1.2 to 7.1 metres and the average depth is 4.5 metres. The l suitable area and average depth are far in excess of those considered necessary for development of peat extraction l operations. l Volume The Hardee Farms holdings are estimated to contain a total of approximately 67.36 million cubic metres of peat in the area that is considered suitable for development of peat l extraction operations. l Fuel Peat Extraction Potential is good for extraction of a large volume of good l quality fuel grade peat from the Hardee Farms holdings on the Alfred Bog. It is estimated that a total volume of 56.72 million cubic metres of fuel grade peat is available for harvest. This would produce an estimated 28.36 million l cubic metres of final product (milled fuel peat at 507o moisture content). This fuel peat has an average calorific value of 4813 calories per gram, an average ash content of l 5.757o, and an average sulfur content of Q.044%. l Horticultural Peat Extraction All of the peat in the study area (67.36 million cubic l metres) is suitable for horticultural use. Two types of horticultural peat occur, these are sphagnum peat moss (6.94 million cubic metres) and reed-sedge peat (60.42 million l cubic metres). The sphagnum peat moss occurs as a continuous surface stratum across the majority of the property, it ranges from O to 1.3 metres and averages 0.5 metres in depth. An estimated 6.94 million cubic metres of sphagnum moss peat occur in the study area. This should produce approximately 1,62 million cubic metres of good quality horticultural sphagnum moss peat at I 507o moisture content. An estimated total of 60.42 million cubic metres of reed- l sedge peat occur. This should produce approximately 28.36 million cubic metres of harvested final product at 5070 l moisture content. This is the good qualitiy fuel grade peat l 111 l referred to in the previous section, however it is also l suitable for uses as horticultural peat. l Potential For Agricultural Use The study area can be made suitable for agricultural use through, draining, clearing of surface vegetation, liming and fertilization. These are standard management techniques for l agricultural use of peatlands. l Recommendations It is recommended that an economic feasibility study be l conducted prior to development of the study area for the previously described uses. This study should include determination of the bog development costs and market l analysis. If development for any, or all, of the described uses is determined to be economically feasible a development plan l should be prepared. This plan should include preparation of a drainage plan and determination of the environmental impli l cations that are specific to the intended use. l l l l l l l l l l IV l 3IG(S7NWe0ei 63.4497 ALFRED 010C l TABLE OF C EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i l 1. INTRODUCTION l 1.1 Study Area Location l 1.2 Objectives l l 1.3 Scope 3 l 2. PROCEDURES 2.1 Preliminary Investigations 4 l 2.2 Field Investigations 4 2.3 Data Analysis 6 l 3. OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSION 3.1 Climate 9 l 3.2 Geology and Geomorphology 11 3.3 Peatland Formation 12 3.4 Area and Shape 12 l 3.5 Topography 14 3.6 Drainage 14 3.7 Vegetation 17 3.8 Peat Characteristics 21 l i) Peat Depth 21 ii) Peat Type 23 iii) Peat Humification 23 l 3.9 Peat Volumes 24 3.10 Stump Content 24 3.11 Previous Modifications and Uses 25 l 3.12 Present Use 27 3.13 Potential For Utilization 27 i) Potential for Fuel Peat Extraction 29 ii) Potential for Horticultural Peat Extraction 32 l iii) Potential for Agriculture 35 l APPENDICES Appendix A Ground Photographs 37 l Appendix B Site Data Record Sheet 41 Appendix C - Keys to Peatland Classification 43 Appendix D Peat Type Classification 55 Appendix E Identification of Peat Types 59 l Appendix F Laboratory Results 61 Appendix G Von Post Scale of Decomposition (Humification) 74 l Appendix H Calculation of Stump Content 77 Appendix I Classification of Peat and Peat Moss 79 l Appendix J References 81 l l l Table of Contents cont©d page TABLES l Table l - Climatic Data Summary 10 Table 2 - Summary of Vegetation Cover Types 18 Table 3 - Tree Cover Analysis 19 l Table 4 - Dominant Vegetation Species 22 Table 5 - Average Peat Depths 21 Table 6 - Peat Volumes 24 l Table 7 - Fuel Peat Characteristics 31 l FIGURES AND MAPS Key Map I - Alfred Bog Study Area 2 Key Map II - Past and Present Extent of the l Alfred Bog 13 Figure l - Drainage Ditch Profiles 16 Dwg. No. l - Base Map Inside Back Cover Dwg. No. 2 - Elevation Map " l Dwg. No. 3 - Isopach Map " Dwg. No. 4 - Peatland Classification Map " Peat Type and Peat Humification Profiles: l B200S to B2200N " B2400N to B4800N " B5000N to B7400N " l LOGO " L1000N " L2000N " L3000N " l L4000N " L5000N " L6000N " l L7000N " l l l l l l l l 1 u* INTRPPUCTION 1.1 Study Area Location 1 The Alfred Bog is located in Alfred and Caledonia Townships in Prescott County. The total area of the bog is reported to be approximately 4,000 hectares (Cuddy, 1982), of which 1,500 1 hectares are owned by Hardee Farms International Limited.